Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
The current SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a sudden major stressor superimposed on pre-existing high distress in parents of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study aimed to investigate the psychological wellbeing of NICU parents during the COVID-19 pandemic...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
Series: | Children |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/9/755 |
id |
doaj-77247be6dee446bfa02054cb3321b10a |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-77247be6dee446bfa02054cb3321b10a2021-09-25T23:54:35ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672021-08-01875575510.3390/children8090755Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 PandemicLaura Polloni0Francesco Cavallin1Elisabetta Lolli2Rossana Schiavo3Martina Bua4Biancarosa Volpe5Marta Meneghelli6Eugenio Baraldi7Daniele Trevisanuto8Psychology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, ItalyIndependent Statistician, 36020 Solagna, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padua, ItalyPsychology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, ItalyPsychology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, ItalyPsychology Unit, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padua, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padua, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University Hospital of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padua, ItalyThe current SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a sudden major stressor superimposed on pre-existing high distress in parents of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study aimed to investigate the psychological wellbeing of NICU parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-four parents of 25 inpatients of the Padua University Hospital NICU were included from June 2020 to February 2021. At 7–14 days postpartum parents completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU) and an ad-hoc questionnaire measuring parental COVID-19 related stress. About one third of parents reported extreme/high stress and a relevant negative impact on parenthood experience. Less time (82%) and less physical contact (73%) with infants due to COVID-19 preventive measures were the most frequent negative factors. Higher COVID-19 related parental stress was positively associated with anxiety, depression, NICU parental stress, stress related to NICU environment, and parental role alterations. Depression symptoms, stress related to infant condition and parental role alterations were higher in mothers. The pandemic affected parental emotional and relational wellbeing directly through additional stress due to COVID-19 concerns and indirectly through the impact of restrictions on the experience of becoming parents.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/9/755anxietydepressionfathersmotherspreterm childstress |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Laura Polloni Francesco Cavallin Elisabetta Lolli Rossana Schiavo Martina Bua Biancarosa Volpe Marta Meneghelli Eugenio Baraldi Daniele Trevisanuto |
spellingShingle |
Laura Polloni Francesco Cavallin Elisabetta Lolli Rossana Schiavo Martina Bua Biancarosa Volpe Marta Meneghelli Eugenio Baraldi Daniele Trevisanuto Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Children anxiety depression fathers mothers preterm child stress |
author_facet |
Laura Polloni Francesco Cavallin Elisabetta Lolli Rossana Schiavo Martina Bua Biancarosa Volpe Marta Meneghelli Eugenio Baraldi Daniele Trevisanuto |
author_sort |
Laura Polloni |
title |
Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic |
title_short |
Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic |
title_full |
Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic |
title_fullStr |
Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Psychological Wellbeing of Parents with Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic |
title_sort |
psychological wellbeing of parents with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during sars-cov-2 pandemic |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Children |
issn |
2227-9067 |
publishDate |
2021-08-01 |
description |
The current SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a sudden major stressor superimposed on pre-existing high distress in parents of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study aimed to investigate the psychological wellbeing of NICU parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-four parents of 25 inpatients of the Padua University Hospital NICU were included from June 2020 to February 2021. At 7–14 days postpartum parents completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS:NICU) and an ad-hoc questionnaire measuring parental COVID-19 related stress. About one third of parents reported extreme/high stress and a relevant negative impact on parenthood experience. Less time (82%) and less physical contact (73%) with infants due to COVID-19 preventive measures were the most frequent negative factors. Higher COVID-19 related parental stress was positively associated with anxiety, depression, NICU parental stress, stress related to NICU environment, and parental role alterations. Depression symptoms, stress related to infant condition and parental role alterations were higher in mothers. The pandemic affected parental emotional and relational wellbeing directly through additional stress due to COVID-19 concerns and indirectly through the impact of restrictions on the experience of becoming parents. |
topic |
anxiety depression fathers mothers preterm child stress |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/9/755 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT laurapolloni psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT francescocavallin psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT elisabettalolli psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT rossanaschiavo psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT martinabua psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT biancarosavolpe psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT martameneghelli psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT eugeniobaraldi psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic AT danieletrevisanuto psychologicalwellbeingofparentswithinfantsadmittedtotheneonatalintensivecareunitduringsarscov2pandemic |
_version_ |
1717367583350456320 |